Overheating could lead to injury, company admits

Sony has asked certain slimline-model PlayStation 2 owners around the world to return their AC adaptors or risk what it calls "injury hazard".

At this stage, it's not known how many allegedly faulty adaptors Sony will have to replace, but it is believed to stretch well into the millions, with 843,000 units in the US alone. To date, Sony has shipped will in excess of 20m PS2 around the world. More than 16m slimline PS2s have shipped since the model's introduction last November, according to Sony's own numbers.

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According to the Japanese giant, a number of AC adaptors, made between August and December 2004, and supplied with black, slimline PS2 models SCPH70002, 70003 and 70004 could "overheat", potentially harming consumers.

Sony Computer Entertainment America (SCEA) said the company had received 38 reports of adaptors overheating, including 19 reports of units that melted, four claims of minor property damage, two of minor burns and one of a minor electrical shock.

Sony Computer Entertainment Europe (SCEE) did not provide recall numbers or detail any similar reports of the affect of the problem on consumers.

However, as "precautionary measure", SCEE said, it was recalling all such adaptors in Europe, the Middle East, Africa and Australia. SCEA is recalling product in North America. As of this morning, there was no notice on the Japanese Sony Computer Entertainment website.

In the meantime, SCEE told consumers owning one of the AC adaptors affected by the recall that they should unplug it. Then they should visit www.ps2ac.com to find out how to claim a replacement part.

In February, Microsoft asked consumers to return 14.1m Xbox power adaptors for similar reasons. ®